Lobster fisherman Jacob Knowles. Photo courtesy of Jacob Knowles

A fifth-generation fisherman based in Winter Harbor, Jacob Knowles gives an up-close, informative and entertaining look at the life of a lobsterman.

Knowles’ demeanor is friendly, and his laughter comes easy. Clearly his happy place is out on the ocean working. Through his hundreds of videos on TikTok and Instagram, you’ll learn all about lobsters, including which ones are unique, like the rare spotted calico.

Often the clips feature Knowles talking to the lobsters with encouraging words, even if they’re destined to be tonight’s dinner.

Knowles, 31, has been sharing clips on Instagram since he was in high school and since 2018 on YouTube, where he now has 2.14 million followers.

“When short form boomed in 2020, things went crazy,” Knowles said, adding that he was able to build a team to help with content creation instead of doing it alone like he had been for years. “It has also made the most boring days on the boat exciting because we’re constantly on the lookout for things to share and feel like we have millions of people on the boat with us. It’s really fun.”

Knowles clearly cares about his hauls and takes the time to remove cumbersome barnacles from some of the lobsters. All the ones that can’t be kept, because of size or because they’re egg-bearing females, are sent back into the sea with a smile and a fish snack from Knowles.